“No, I did not hear from him often, neither was I sure that he cared in that way for me. I dreamed of him, but was more or less ashamed of it, and scolded myself for having such a hero when he probably only thought of me as a good friend—though there were times——”
“Yes,” said Betty. “If ever there was adoration in a man’s eyes, it was in Captain Van Horne’s one time, on that picnic at Greycliff. I told Cathalina so, but she made light of it.”
“What else could I do?” asked Cathalina. “The reason I didn’t hear was that he was in action so much of the time, and he was wounded twice. The first time it didn’t amount to much and he went back, but the second time he was in the hospital over there a long time, and was sent home from there. He came to New York, but got sick on the way, and had to go to a hospital here. Then he wrote me a little note and I went to see him.” Cathalina stopped. “I can just see him now,” she went on in a moment, lowering her voice. “He was so thin and white and he stretched out both his hands to me and called me his darling. I felt like his mother and went right to him and slipped my arm under his head! Wasn’t it dreadful? He says that he had just waked up and when the nurse showed me in he thought it must be in heaven. Philip jokes me about it and tells me that Allan was out of his mind and that I took advantage of it! But if he were out of his mind for a minute it would not explain all he told me when he was in his right mind a few minutes later and it all came out; so I have no reason to wonder about whether he loves me or not.”
“It’s funny how suddenly these things do happen,” said Hilary, thinking of her own experience.
“Yes,” said Betty, “but you must remember that everything has been so different with our boys, and such tragedies of separation have happened that there has been good reason for romantic and sudden——”
“Episodes,” finished Isabel.
The girls were all sitting on Cathalina’s bed from which the pretty dresses and other things had been cleared after the display, or on chairs drawn close as they held this rather intimate conversation, all so interested and sympathetic toward the prospective bride. Isabel was on one side of Cathalina and Betty on the other, and all the girls were so delighted to have the short reunions, so eager to hear the confidences.
“As soon as Allan was able he went into the office and besides that he had a little bit of good luck in getting some property sold that had been only an expense, something from his father’s estate, I guess,—you know, Betty, how beautifully indefinite I am. I don’t really know, except that he can afford to get married now. He is coming to call this evening and see you all. Now ask Lilian how her love affair is coming on.” Cathalina turned with a smile to her future sister-in-law.
“Yes, Lilian,” said Eloise, “tell us when that event will be.”
“Before so very long, Eloise, but Mother is not well and I shall just quietly get ready and have a small wedding, though probably in the same church, and just have the family in afterwards. Mrs. Van Buskirk wants to give a reception for us after our trip, so that will probably happen. Could you girls get back for it? I hate to be married without you.”